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The activist and abolitionist is the airline’s first American female and first black tailfin hero

Norwegian has announced its first black and first American female tailfin hero, Sojourner Truth. The image of the notable abolitionist and activist will be featured on the tailfin of the airline’s next Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The Sojourner Truth aircraft, the second American tail fin hero, will take flight to the United States in a few weeks.

Norwegian has a time-honoured tradition of celebrating iconic, historical figures on the tails of its aircraft. Each person who is featured on a tailfin embodies Norwegian’s spirit of pushing boundaries, inspiring others and challenging the status quo.The new aircraft featuring Sojourner Truth is Norwegian’s fourth Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft this year - other tail fins to appear on the MAX aircraft include British aviation pioneer Sir Freddie Laker, Irish Antarctic explorer Tom Crean, author Jonathan Swift and US statesman Benjamin Franklin.

Born Isabella Baumfree in Upstate New York, the former slave changed her name to Sojourner Truth in 1843. She gave numerous speeches throughout her life and was recognized as a great orator for her ability to capture the crowd with her accounts what she endured while enslaved. In 1851, Truth delivered remarks about slavery and women’s rights at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention that later became known as the “Ain’t I a Woman” speech.

Although she was best known for her dedication to the abolition of slavery and women’s rights, Truth was also a proponent for prison reform, property rights and universal suffrage. One of the Smithsonian’s “100 Most Significant Americans of All Time,” Truth helped to recruit Black troops for the Union Army during the Civil War. She died in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1883 and was able to see the abolition of slavery in her lifetime.

Thomas Ramdahl, Norwegian’s Chief Commercial Officer, said:“Our tailfin hero program celebrates everyday heroes who are admired for their various accomplishments and ability to inspire others to action. Sojourner Truth is definitely an inspiration and a pioneer for so many people in the United States and around the world. She is someone who pushed boundaries and challenged the establishment in more ways than one. These are all qualities that describe Norwegian and our global strategy. Our aircraft are the most recognizable aspects of our brand and we are very honored to use that canvas to pay tribute to this American icon.”

The MAX aircraft are being used on a series of new low-cost transatlantic routes launched this summer between the US East Coast, and Edinburgh, Belfast, Cork, Shannon and Dublin.

Norwegian is Europe’s third largest low-cost carrier, carrying 30 million yearly passengers to more than 140 global destinations. Norwegian has been voted the Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline for two consecutive years at the renowned SkyTrax Awards, and the Europe’s Best Low-Cost Airline for four consecutive years.